Homeless People in Trouble - Cash is Becoming Scarce
News News blog
Whether at the supermarket checkout or in a café: People are increasingly reaching for their smartphones or debit cards to pay instead of coins and bills. The trend towards cashless payments is steadily increasing. But what does this mean for homeless people who ask for change on the street or sell street newspapers? Are they getting into increasing difficulties due to the decline in cash?
Hardly Any Money Left in Pockets
In fact, homeless people are increasingly hearing: "Sorry, I don't have any cash on me". Many people no longer have any money in their pockets at all, only cards. This poses major problems for those in need, as they rely on the small change donated by passers-by.
Moreover, not every homeless person has a bank account to which someone could transfer money. And even if they do, regular monetary gifts to the account are problematic. This is because they can be counted as income and deducted from social benefits.
Creative Solutions are Needed
To continue receiving donations, homeless people need to get creative. In Scandinavia, some of them are already using mobile card readers. This allows passers-by to donate digitally as well. However, the acquisition is not cheap and also requires a bank account as well as a smartphone with internet connection.
Other homeless people ask passers-by if they can buy them something to eat instead, e.g. a sandwich. This strategy often works well as an alternative to monetary donations. However, some people also use the excuse "I don't have any cash on me" to avoid giving anything at all.
Conclusion - Digitalization or Donations in Kind are a Solution
The trend towards a cashless society poses existential problems for homeless people. They need to find new ways to make ends meet. Creativity and digitalization are required. Passers-by who wish to donate, should develop an awareness of this and support homeless people with alternative donations - be it with a purchased roll or a transfer via mobile phone.
